Welcome!
I am a neuroscientist investigating visual perception and neural information processing in the human brain.
I lead the Computational Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging research group at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, and serve as an endowed professor at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.
As director of the Spinoza Centre for Neuroimaging, I oversee a core research facility of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Sciences (KNAW), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, and Amsterdam University Medical Center. Spinoza houses advanced MRI equipment, including the Netherlands' only clinically-certified 7T MRI, supporting innovative neuroscientific and clinical research.
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About me
Originally from a small town near Eindhoven, I completed my M.Sc. (doctorandus) in Biology at Utrecht University, which included research at McGill University's Montreal Neurological Institute (Canada). After earning my Ph.D. in Neurology and Neurosurgery at McGill University and postdoctoral work in Ophthalmology, I conducted research at Stanford University's Psychology department (USA). I returned to the Netherlands to establish my research group, first at Utrecht University before moving to the Spinoza Centre, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, and the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience.
Research focus
For general audiences
My work focuses on how the brain enables perception and cognition, using vision as a model system. For accessible summaries, see the Ammodo Award summary (2015), Journal of Neuroscience & Cognition interview (2016), or listen to the Dutch podcast: Het brein in beeld [Imaging the brain] (2023).
Academic overview
My research integrates perception, cognition, neuroscience, and computational neuroimaging to understand visual information processing in the brain. I study the visual system not only to understand vision but also to gain insights into broader brain function. My work has expanded to include attention, numerical cognition, and clinical applications examining neural plasticity and stability.I use advanced neuroimaging techniques, particularly 7T fMRI, alongside computational and behavioral methods. I've developed novel analyses tools like the population receptive field (pRF) method, now used in over 100 academic institutions worldwide.
My research has received major funding from the European Union and Dutch Research Council, including Vidi and Vici grants. I earned my degrees with highest distinction from Utrecht University and McGill University. My work has been highlighted in leading journals and received multiple awards, including the Neuroimage Editors' Choice Award (2013), Brain Centrum Rudolf Magnus Research Prize (2014), European Vision Research Best Publications (2015), and the prestigious Ammodo KNAW Award (2015).